Door release automatic gas oven shut down

ABSTRACT

A tamper proof contact or senor detection device transmits a signal to processor controlled timing device. The processor timing device in response to the received signal disables the ignition device that ignites the gas valve of an oven when the oven door is left open for a certain period of time or longer.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a non-provisional application of provisional application Ser. No. 61/215,689 filed May 8, 2009 by Angelo Castelli, Clayton Macartney and John Fendt.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present disclosure relates to an improved method and apparatus for shutting off a gas oven when the door of the oven has been left open for a period of time. In particular the present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for preventing a gas oven from operating after a period of time when the oven door has been left open.

2. The Related Art

U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,766,905; 3,664,323 and 4,430,989 each disclose mechanisms to shut down a gas oven when the door is opened.

SUMMARY

One of the dangers of gas operated ovens is accidentally leaving the door of a gas oven open fully, partially open or slightly ajar. Gas can then fill the room and harm the occupants. In addition the gas is flammable and explosive and thus an environment exist that can create a great danger to those in the dwelling where the gas oven is located. It is therefore desirable to provide for a method and a system that would ensure that the gas oven is shut down when the gas oven door is left open for a certain period of time.

The present disclosure provides for preventing a gas oven from operating after a period of time when the oven door has been left open. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for a tamper proof contact or senor detection device that transmits a signal to processor controlled timing device to disable the ignition device that ignites the gas valve of an oven when the oven door is left open for a certain period of time or longer. The present disclosure provides for a safe, effective and efficient method and apparatus for shutting off a gas oven by inhibiting its ignition system when an oven door is left open for at least a certain period of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the gas oven system connected to the gas operating time relay mechanism of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a an illustration of the GOS time relay system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates the GOS time relay in side views with wires connected thereto; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings of FIGS. 1-4, FIG. 1 discloses an embodiment of the present disclosure in which a Gas Oven Shutdown system (GOS) 3 is connected within an existing electrical connection system for a gas oven. The GOS 3 (see FIG. 2) is wire connected to an oven door switch 7. This switch 7 can be a plunger switch located at a hinge of the oven door or any other type of tamper proof switching device which can be electrically integrated and is preferably a normally open switch. When the door switch 7 is closed for a programmed period of time by a timer relay 5, such as by way of non-limiting exemplary illustration 45 seconds, a relay 4 will be activated within the GOS 3 system that in turn will shut down the oven feed valve 8 connected to the ignition module for the gas oven. By shutting down the oven feed valve 8, the ignition module will be inhibited from igniting the gas line and thus prevent gas from feeding and being ignited by the module. This will shut down the oven from operation. It is understood that the present invention is not limited to any specific time and any time frame can be set by the timer relay such as preferably from 30 seconds to one minute. In addition an electronic timing mechanism can be used in conjunction with the GOS of the present disclosure besides a timer relay.

The oven is reset by manually reactivating the reset switch 6 which is preferably a normally open switch and which needs to be manually activated by a user and the oven door must be closed before the reset switch will reset the oven.

When the reset switch 6 is activated, the GOS 3 will be reenergized through its internal relay 4 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) and will reset the time delay timer 9 of the GOS 3. Once reset, the oven valve feed is reenergized (5-8) so that the oven is again functioning in its normal operating state.

In addition a buzzer can be provided to alert a user such as a blind person when the door has been opened to long and thus inform him that the oven has been deactivated until the user closes the door and presses the reset switch 6.

Thus, while the preferred embodiment for practicing the present disclosure has been described in detail, it will be apparent that various modifications or alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A system for shutting down a gas oven, comprising: a tamper proof contact or senor detection device; a processor controlled timing device adapted to receive a signal from said tamper proof contact or sensor device wherein upon receipt of said signal said processor controlled timing device disables an ignition device of a gas oven when an oven door of said gas oven is left open for a certain period of time or longer.
 2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said timing device includes a gas operated system (GOS) that is wired to an oven door switch and said GOS further includes a relay for disabling said ignition device upon receipt of said signal. device.
 3. The system according to claim 2 wherein said timing device includes a time relay for setting said period of time before disabling said ignition device.
 4. The system according to claim 1 wherein said tamper proof contact or device is a normally open plunger switch
 5. The system according to claim 2 further comprising a normally open reset switch for resetting the gas oven to operate when the rest switch is activated and the gas oven door is closed.
 6. The system according to claim 2 further comprising a buzzer set to go off when the door has been opened for said certain period of time and thus inform a user that the oven has been deactivated by said GOS until the user closes the door and presses the reset switch
 7. A method for shutting down a gas oven, the steps comprising: detecting an open gas oven door for a preprogrammed period of time using a tamper proof contact or senor detection device; transmitting a signal to a processor controlled timing device from said tamper proof contact or sensor device; and disabling an ignition device of a gas oven open for at least said preprogrammed period of time wherein upon receipt of said signal said processor controlled timing device to disable the ignition device of said gas oven. 